A 24% boost to your Social Security check could be yours — if you're willing to wait 3 extra years

For millions of Americans, the Social System is the bedrock of their retirement plan. For instance, a 2024 survey by the Seniors League found that for 67% of retirees, benefits accounted for more than half their monthly income (1). At least 27% of all retirees relied on benefits alone for their income.

Simply put, there's a good chance a meaningful portion of your retirement could be funded by this social safety net.

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If that's the case, it makes sense to try to maximize the payout. Fortunately, depending on your age and financial situation, there are several ways to boost your payout before you file your claim.

Here are a few different ways you can potentially bump up your monthly payout to $3,500 or more.

Your benefit is built from three inputs: how long you worked, how much you earned and when you claim.

If you're still years away from retirement, the good news is you still have time to work on two of these levers, starting with how long you work. The Social Security Administration (2) (SSA) uses the highest-paid 35 years of your career to calculate your benefits, so every additional year of higher pay can make a difference. And if you have a few years of unemployment or under-employment on your record, now is the time to offset those with higher-paid years.

The second lever is how much you earn in those years. If you earned the maximum taxable earnings every year since age 22 and claimed your benefits in 2026 at age 67, which is Full Retirement Age (FRA) in the U.S., your monthly payout would be $4,152, according to the SSA (3). While only a small fraction of American workers earn that much for that long, the point is that you can significantly boost your benefits by working harder during your career.

That being said, there is an easier way to boost your benefits without working too hard.

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Perhaps the easiest way to boost your payout is to simply delay your claim. Filing your benefit claim at age 70 or later instead of 67 could boost your monthly payout by as much as 24% (4). So, if you're eligible for $2,822 per month at FRA, waiting just three years more to file can boost that payout to $3,500.

To be fair, waiting three additional years without benefits is easier said than done — especially if you have already retired and have limited resources. In these situations, it's probably better to work with an experienced financial planner to help you prepare a financial bridge between your retirement and benefit claim.

Platforms like Advisor.com can help you find the right fit. Their team does the heavy lifting for you, vetting advisors based on track record, client ratios and regulatory background. Plus, their network comprises fiduciaries, who are legally required to act in your best interests.

Just enter a few details about your finances and goals, and Advisor.com's AI-powered matching tool will connect you with a qualified expert best-suited for your needs based on your unique financial goals and preferences.

Finding the right advisor isn't always easy — there's no one-size-fits-all solution. That's why Advisor.com lets you set up a free initial consultation , with no obligation to hire, to see if they're the right fit for you.